University Life
by Sherlock 2K
Summary: You've heard about Victor Trevor and the Gloria Scott, but surely that wasn't the only case Holmes handled at university. New challenges our detective in training in more forms than one. Chapter 4
1. The New Student

A/N: This is the story of how Kathryn Granger and Sherlock Holmes met in university. You don't have to read A New Ally to understand this, but you might want to do so in order to get an understanding of who Kathryn is. Please R/R and enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Sherlock Holmes, or anything else created by Doyle or anyone else. I do own Kathryn Granger, to my delight!  
  
University Life  
  
Kathryn Granger stepped onto the platform on a dull, cloudy day, when the steel-colored sky threatened to touch the earth, and looked around. Her emerald eyes, framed with round, wire-rimmed glasses, slowly took in the scenery of what was to be her new home as her rosy lips formed a small smile.  
  
Kathryn took a deep breath as she picked up her rather large trunk and prepared to enter her new life at the university. As she walked out of the small train station, she took out a detailed map of the campus and studied it intently. She found the main building of the college and started to make her way through the winding, crowd-filled streets.  
  
Just as she turned the corner, she felt something collide into her and in the next moment, found herself sprawled on the ground, her map and trunk lying several feet away.  
  
"Oh I'm so sorry, miss!" exclaimed a young man as he extended a long sinewy arm and quickly pulled Kathryn to her feet. "Are you all right?" he asked anxiously.  
  
Kathryn promptly dusted off her pine green dress, picked up her belongings, and looked into the concerned iron gray eyes of a tall, gaunt man with an austere face.  
  
"Yes, I am fine, thank you," replied Kathryn, slightly shaken.  
  
"I apologize once again for bumping into you, I should have been paying more attention to the street. You are new at here, I perceive, Miss Granger. If there's anything you need, please feel free to ask."  
  
Kathryn blinked at him in surprise for a few seconds before recognition dawned in her eyes as she glanced down at her map and trunk, which had her name inscribed on it. Turning her gaze back to the young man standing before her, she studied him carefully, noting the nametag attached to his lapel and the school papers in his hands, and replied:  
  
"Thank you very much for your concern, Mr. Holmes," She replied with a smile. "Since you are a student here, could you please show me the way to the main administration building? I need to get a course, schedule and the key to my lodgings."  
  
It was time for the man to stare incredulously before glancing down at his nametag, which had "Sherlock Holmes" inscribed upon it.  
  
"Touché," said Holmes, turning to face Kathryn wearing a wry, sardonic smile on his face. "You are close to the administration building. Please, allow me to show you the way."  
  
Holmes then turned on his heel and briskly walked down an adjacent street before impatiently beckoning Kathryn to follow. Kathryn sighed, before picking up her trunk and hurried after her new acquaintance.  
  
Within twenty minutes, Kathryn had gotten both her schedule and the key to her new lodgings. Holmes had insisted upon showing her to her rooms. When they had arrived at the door of her new dorm, Kathryn pulled out her schedule and studied it carefully. She then glanced at her companion's acid-stained hands, before saying: "It seems that we share some classes. I have chemistry first thing in the morning."  
  
"I'm not going to ask you how you knew that," said Holmes as Kathryn knocked the large door with a brass knocker. "That was a very good deduction from the stains on my fingers. Chemistry is a very interesting class, and the professor is a very intelligent man."  
  
"I look forward to the class. Well, it's getting late and I still have to unpack," said Kathryn as landlady inside opened the door. "I hope to see you there tomorrow."  
  
"Good day, Miss Granger," replied Holmes, smiling.  
  
Sherlock Holmes walked back to his dorm that evening in a pensive mood. The new girl, Granger, had fascinated him immensely. Holmes had never held a high opinion of the fairer sex, thinking that they were highly emotional and had no ability of having a logical train of thoughts for a prolonged period.  
  
At first, Granger had struck him to be the same as the others of her gender: having more beauty than brains. She had struck him as being physically attractive, with her long, raven hair tied elegantly into a bun at the nape of her neck, and her emerald orbs scintillating as she looked at him.  
  
He was extremely surprised, therefore, when she had not asked him how he had made his deductions about her and was even more astounded when the girl had used his own methods to discover his name and his subject of study.  
  
A small smile formed upon his thin lips as he thought about the possible happenings on the morrow.  
  
"Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day," he mused chuckling.  
  
Kathryn looked around her new room as she finished unpacking her luggage, and sighed. The day had turned out to be far more interesting than she had originally anticipated. Kathryn had not even started school, yet she had already become acquainted with one of her future classmates.  
  
"I shouldn't get myself too attached," she told herself firmly, thinking back to the horrible experiences of her past.  
  
Shaking herself free from the depressing thoughts, Kathryn walked to a small, plain oak desk and picked up her chemistry textbook.  
  
"Well, I might as well get prepared for tomorrow," she mused, before becoming immersed within the pages of the thick book. 


	2. Chemistry Class

A/N: Here's the second chapter of University Life. This chapter is subject to change if you want more detail to the conversation. Many thanks to all of those who reviewed.  
  
Disclaimer: I'm just a poor author writing for fun and don't own any of the Sherlockian stuff. That belongs all to Doyle, so please don't sue me.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Kathryn looked around her new room as she finished unpacking her luggage, and sighed. The day had turned out to be far more interesting than she had originally anticipated. Kathryn had not even started school, yet she had already become acquainted with one of her future classmates.  
  
"I shouldn't get myself too attached," she told herself firmly, thinking back to the horrible experiences of her past.  
  
Shaking herself free from the depressing thoughts, Kathryn walked to a small, plain oak desk and picked up her chemistry textbook.  
  
"Well, I might as well get prepared for tomorrow," she mused, before becoming immersed within the pages of the thick book.  
  
The next morning was a time of extreme chaos for Kathryn as she dashed about her rooms, struggling to find her pens, papers, and books. She bustled out of the lodgings with twenty minutes to get to her first class of the day.  
  
Slinging the leather backpack over her shoulders, she lifted up the hem of her black skirt slightly off the ground and ran through the streets of the college, nearly bumping into several people and once narrowly escaped being trampled by an oncoming hansom.  
  
With five minutes to spare, Kathryn walked briskly into the laboratory, with her hair coming out from her formerly tight bun, quite out of breath.  
  
"Ah, Miss Granger, I presume," called a man's voice jovially. Kathryn turned to face an old man with a long, silver beard and warm, twinkling brown eyes. "Welcome to this class," he said. "I am Professor McAllen. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me or any of your fellow classmates."  
  
"Thank you very much, professor," replied Kathryn gratefully, before heading to a workbench. She quickly set down her supplies and efficiently retied her bun just as the laboratory was beginning to fill with other students.  
  
"Good morning," said Professor McAllen as the class became settled. "Today we have a new student joining this class. Will everyone please welcome Miss Kathryn Granger? I expect everyone to give her any assistance she needs."  
  
The students acknowledged her with a smile or a nod before the professor continued, saying:  
  
"Today, we will be studying the effect of oxidation on various metals. Today's experiment will be done in pairs, so please find a partner."  
  
Chairs scraped the stone floor as the students shuffled around, finding their lab partners. In the end, Kathryn was partnered with Holmes and the two prepared to set up their equipment.  
  
"You seem like you were in a hurry this morning, are you all right?" asked Holmes as they were getting the zinc and copper rods into some test tubes.  
  
"I'm fine," replied Kathryn simply. "I was in a rush this morning and I thought I was going to be late."  
  
The two worked in silence after that, soon achieving the desired effect on their metals. Holmes was once again struck by the abilities of Granger as he observed her dexterity at handling the chemicals and the proficiency of her chemical formulae that explained the reactions. He had originally anticipated doing all the work himself, believing that Kathryn was incompetent at chemistry, but had found her quite adept. He discovered that they were working together very well.  
  
"Holmes," someone beside him whispered, breaking Holmes's reverie.  
  
"Yes?" Holmes asked, startled. As he turned around, Holmes accidentally toppled over a flask of acid. Holmes heard a slight chinking of glass against the wooden workbench and heard a small "ouch" murmured beside him. He turned around to see that the flask had been knocked over and its contents pouring all over the table. To the right of him was Kathryn, holding her left hand painfully in her right, with a grimace on her face. Blisters were already forming on her left hand, which was completely red.  
  
"Oh dear!" exclaimed Professor McAllen. "Mr. Holmes, please escort Miss Granger to the infirmary, and hurry."  
  
Holmes helped Kathryn up out of her stool and the two quickly walked out of the classroom, hearing a loud commotion of voices as Professor McAllen struggled to regain control of his class.  
  
"I'm so sorry!" exclaimed Holmes as he was trying to apologize. "Are you all right?"  
  
"I'll be fine," replied Granger, smiling and then wincing in pain. "I've been through worse."  
  
As the two walked into the infirmary, a short, gray-haired, slightly plump woman wearing a black dress came bustling into view.  
  
"Oh, my!" she cried out as she saw Kathryn. "Let's have a better look at your hand, dear," she continued, carefully examining the damaged flesh and helping Kathryn to flex her fingers.  
  
"It seems like an acid burn," she concluded finally as she gathered up some salve, antiseptic, and gauze. "There's little I can do for you apart from cleaning and wrapping the wound up. This will sting a little."  
  
She carefully poured some antiseptic over the burn, making tears threaten to leak out of Kathryn's eyes. She refused to let them fall, however. Crying was for the weak and it never solved anything.  
  
The nurse then applied some salve upon the wound, which felt cool on her burning skin, before wrapping the hand tightly with the gauze.  
  
"There you go," the nurse said, sighing. "Mr. Holmes, please take her to her dorm and let her rest. I want you to keep the hand clean, miss. Come back tomorrow so I can change the bandage."  
  
With that, the nurse shooed the two out of her office. Holmes was still anxiously apologizing for the accident and Kathryn seemed to be feeling better, cheered on by his words.  
  
"How did the nurse know your name?" she asked as they were walking.  
  
"I've been in there a couple times, myself," Holmes replies, smiling sheepishly. "I once got bitten by a bull terrier, and the nurse helped to patch me up. Her name is Mrs. Fletcher, and I am sure that you will like her once you get to know her."  
  
"I'm sure I will," said Kathryn as they reached the door to her dorm. "It seems that unexpected things always happen when I'm in your company," She continued with a twinkle in her eyes. "I'll have to be more careful around you from now on."  
  
"Is there anything else I can do?" asked Holmes. "I really want to make up for what happened this morning."  
  
"I have an English literature class in about an hour, and I'm sure you have another class as well, even if you don't wish to return to chemistry. If you wish to talk later, then you can come back after your classes."  
  
"Thank you, Miss Granger," said Holmes solemnly. "I will make this up to you some day. Good day."  
  
"Good day, Mr. Holmes," replied Kathryn, smiling.  
  
That evening, Holmes returned with a small bottle in his hand.  
  
"Come in," said Kathryn, beckoning him into her room. Holmes saw that it was comfortably furnished, with a small, oak desk in the corner, with textbooks and spare sheets of paper sprawled on top. In the center of the room was a large, comfortable sofa, which faced a large window overlooking the bustling street below.  
  
"I brought you something that will help the burn," said Holmes, handing the bottle to Kathryn. "It's a soothing balm that I developed myself, which works better than Mrs. Fletcher's salves."  
  
"It's very kind of you," replied Kathryn as she opened the bottle and took a sniff. "It smells like mint," She mused.  
  
"Well, most people like mint," said Holmes half-heartedly as he took a seat on the sofa. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"It still stings a little, but it's much better, thank you," replied Kathryn. "Why have you taken such an interest in me?"  
  
"Well, I owe you a favor after what happened this morning, I intend to fulfill it," replied Holmes. "Besides, everyone needs a friend, and I haven't observed you talking with anyone else."  
  
Kathryn opened her mouth to reply, but then closed it, thinking of nothing that could rebuke the argument. The room filled with an uneasy silence.  
  
"So what other classes are you taking here?" Holmes asked in an attempt to start a conversation.  
  
"I'm taking chemistry, biology, theology, and English literature. My schedule may seem strange to you, but I find it a perfect balance between the natural world and the world created by the human mind."  
  
"Sounds interesting," Holmes mused.  
  
For the rest of the evening, Holmes and Kathryn conversed animatedly with one another. They shared numerous childhood experiences, mishaps during their school years, and many other fond memories.  
  
Throughout the evening, Holmes felt that Kathryn was hiding something from him. She had rarely mentioned her childhood, and when he asked her about it, she would always find a way to surreptitiously change the subject. Holmes was satisfied with the progress he had made on her so far, however. It had taken almost a two hours to convince Kathryn to open up her life, and he knew that he would have to be much more patient before she revealed to him her mysterious past. 


	3. Classes and Conversations

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything!  
  
A/N: Hello, everyone. I'd first like to thank all of those wonderful people who reviewed so far. Your reviews are really appreciated! After many requests for A romance, I have decided to make this story officially Sherlock/Kathryn. Unfortunately, that meant changing the plot as I had planned, which explains the delay [plus the fact that I'm just flooded with work ;-)]  
  
Ahem, well, without further ado, HERE'S Chapter 3!  
  
Chapter 3  
  
  
  
"There," stated the nurse confidently as she bandaged up Kathryn's burn once again the next morning. "That is about all I can do for the wound, Miss Granger. Since the injury was a deep one, there will probably be some scar tissue remaining once it has healed, and your left hand will always be sensitive to injuries."  
  
"Thank you, madam," said Kathryn gratefully.  
  
"My name is Mrs. Fletcher, but please call me Helen," corrected the nurse.  
  
"Thank you, Helen," prompted Kathryn. "I'll be sure to come back tomorrow."  
  
Kathryn slipped down from the bed she was sitting on and walked out of the room with Holmes in tow.  
  
"Thank you for accompanying me to the infirmary, Mr. Holmes," said Kathryn gratefully as they walked out of the small building and stepped down through the bustling street.  
  
"It was the least I could do," Holmes piped. The two turned the corner of the street and walked through a small square with a bronze fountain statue depicting the famous mythical battle of the lion and the unicorn fighting for the crown, scattering pigeons and sending them flapping into the cloudless sky. As the two came up to a tall stone building Kathryn turned to Holmes and said, "Well, I've got to go to my English literature class."  
  
"Are you sure you don't need anything else?" Holmes asked, almost timidly.  
  
"I'll be fine. I've been through much worse, and I can manage a simple burn on the hand," replied Kathryn confidently. "See you later."  
  
With that, Kathryn and Holmes parted ways, the former entering the large building and hurrying to class and the latter slowly continuing to stroll down the street toward a small garden beside the square.  
  
Holmes walked through the lush garden slowly, savouring the cool shade from the midday sun provided by the large sycamore trees that line the path. His physics class was going to begin in half an hour but he was unusually apathetic about the impending lesson.  
  
His thoughts once again drifted to his new classmate, Kathryn Granger. Holmes was at his wit's end trying to determine who Kathryn really was. He could deduce little from her, apart from the fact that she had seen much hardship in her childhood from her work-hardened hands, and that she had stayed in Edinburgh for some time from her slightly Scottish accent. She had so far still been unresponsive towards his gentle prodding of questions about her past and did little to satisfy his immense curiosity about her enigmatic childhood.  
  
Holmes mentally shook himself. 'Why am I thinking so much about her? She is, after all, only another classmate. Yet there is something about her that spurs on my curiosity and I will not rest until I find out at least something about where she came from,' he thought to himself. He then realised with surprise that it was the first time he found himself thinking continually about anyone from the fairer sex since is older sister, Leona, died many years ago. Holmes sighed for the first time in many days and glanced at the gleaming silver pocket watch he had taken out.  
  
"Oh no! I'm late for class!" he exclaimed aloud, before running off through the garden as if he was being chased by the devil himself  
  
"Class, we have two new students joining our English Literature class today: Miss Kathryn Granger and Miss Anne Finnegan. Miss Granger, Miss Finnegan, my name is Professor Bell. I hope that you will find this class challenging and interesting enough to keep your eyes open for the entire two and a half hours. Please, take a seat, and we will begin."  
  
Kathryn and Anne took seats beside each other near the front of the class as the Professor began his lecture.  
  
"We will begin now our unit on the analysis of mystery stories. There are relatively few such stories from which we must gather our information, as it is a comparatively contemporary genre of literature. The first real detective story, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, was actually written in this century."  
  
The professor went on to discuss the basic pattern apparent in most mysteries and used examples from Edgar Alan Poe stories and from The Moonstone.  
  
"One of the more singular common traits mysteries is that there is always a companion to the main protagonist. For many of these stories, the authors write in first person using the point of view of the companion. The companion is usually less intelligent than the person who solves the crime is. This allows the author to incorporate mush more suspense and emotion into the story, without giving away too many clues to the climax until he or she wants to.  
  
"You may want to try writing a story in which the companion falls in love with the main protagonist, or even the antagonist. In any case, romance is often included in a mystery, as well as action and adventure, angst, and horror. One may even go as far as to write a mystery with a fantasy setting. As you can see, the mystery allows for much flexibility in writing, and with some creativity, can become very complex and incorporate all other genres.  
  
"On page 57 of your textbooks, you will find the basic outline of the plot of a typical mystery story, along with other facts for writing a story. Homework will be to write a mystery at least ten pages long, with at least one other genre of writing included. You may use the remainder of the class time to start brainstorming."  
  
The class then separated into several groups before the buzzing sound of whispering and talking filled the room. Kathryn flipped her book to the mystery section and was about to start her brainstorming, when a quiet voice interrupted her.  
  
"So you're new here too, eh, Kathryn? I just arrived this morning, haven't even been to my lodgings yet. My name's Anne, by the way, but you already knew that."  
  
Kathryn slowly looked up into the blue eyed, rosy-cheeked face framed with fiery red hair of her new classmate.  
  
"Hello, Anne," she replied cheerfully. "It's nice to meet you. I am also a new student at this school, so I'm afraid I won't be able to show you around the grounds. I only arrived two days ago, actually."  
  
"Really? Well, I hope that we will become fast friends," whispered Anne vivaciously. "This is a big school, after all, and this is our last year of university. If you ask me, we have a lot of catching up to do."  
  
Kathryn nodded before turning back to do her work.  
  
"What are you going to write your mystery about?" asked Anne energetically.  
  
"I'm not sure yet," replied Kathryn honestly, skillfully hiding her slight annoyance at being interrupted again. "I'll find out as I go, I suppose."  
  
"Hmm, I'm like that too, I suppose we should get to work now, eh?" asked Anne quickly before quickly turning to her book and scribbling on her paper. Kathryn surreptitiously shook her head with an amused smile before turning to her own work.  
  
  
  
"So do you have the key to your lodgings yet, Anne?" asked Kathryn as the two walked among the streets of the school after class had ended, each carrying one of Anne's large, bulky trunks.  
  
"Yes, and I have already circled where it is located," replied Anne, stopping to take out her map of the campus and show to Kathryn. "Here it is," she continued, pointing at a circled building close to the left edge of the paper.  
  
"Why, that's where I stay!" exclaimed Kathryn with surprise. "It looks like we're going to be roommates, Anne."  
  
"How brilliant!" exclaimed Anne. "I was worried about not knowing who I was going to live with. Father always tells me to make as many friends who I can trust, but I haven't exactly been very popular among my classmates, and it's always hard to find someone to live with whom I can trust."  
  
"Hmm," Kathryn assented, nodding slightly, not really knowing what to say. The two continued down the cobbled path, each preoccupied with her own thoughts.  
  
"Here we are," said Kathryn suddenly, bringing both of them out of their reveries after they had turned a corner. "Welcome to your new home."  
  
She showed Anne into the comfortably furnished building, turning up the stairs before showing her to the bright living room.  
  
"That is the door my bedroom," said Kathryn, waving in the direction of an oak door on the left side of the room, "and this is your room," she continued, opening up an adjoining door of glazed pine into a small, cosy room with a large four-poster bed with sapphire curtains.  
  
"Thank you so much for all of your help; you've been very kind," said Anne gratefully as Kathryn helped her to unpack her belongings.  
  
"My pleasure," assured Kathryn kindly. "I know what you mean, and it's always nice to have a friend."  
  
"So have you met any nice people so far?" asked Anne.  
  
"Well I've just met you haven't I?" returned Kathryn with a sparkle in her eye, causing Anne to smile widely. "I've also met a very charming gentleman named Sherlock Holmes. I bumped into him on my first day here and found out that he shares some of my classes. We can call on him, if you'd like to meet the man in person."  
  
"That would be really wonderful," replied Anne enthusiastically. "So tell me, what's he like? Is he handsome?"  
  
"He's a quiet fellow," replied Kathryn with a chuckle, "but he's very intelligent, and as polite and kind as any other that you're bound to meet here."  
  
"Sounds interesting. Let's go to see what he's really like."  
  
With that, the two stepped outside once again into the bustling streets below. As they walked through the school grounds, Kathryn paused to show Anne the various places of interest around the school grounds. They walked past the old wooden bridge, which had the reputation of giving Cambridge its famous name.  
  
As they emerged from a small courtyard fringed with fragrant roses, Kathryn paused for a second, before pointing at a row of dun coloured dormitories, saying, "That's where Holmes lives."  
  
"It's a wonderful house!" exclaimed Anne enthusiastically, before running towards the building, leaving Kathryn to catch up with her. The two were politely shown in by the landlady, who was already on friendly terms with Kathryn.  
  
"It's nice to see you again, Miss Granger," she said as she opened the front door welcoming the two inside. "Perhaps you can pull Mr. Holmes out of the strange mood that he's in today. He's been doing nothing but pacing around his room since he returned, and I heard that he was late for his physics class for the first time in all his years here."  
  
"Thank you for telling me," replied Kathryn, slightly bemused, "I'll see what I can do."  
  
With that, Kathryn made her way up the stairs, closely followed by Anne, who appeared to be in her most vivacious mood. Kathryn went up to the door to Holmes's lodgings, and quietly opened it revealing the man himself swiftly pacing his circular sitting room with his eyebrows closely knit and his chin sunk upon his chest, apparently in deep thought. He did not appear to have heard the two ladies' entrance, and only looked up when Anne closed the door somewhat noisily.  
  
"Miss Granger! What a pleasant surprise!" he exclaimed, instantly coming out of his sombre mood as he strode across the room to shake her hand. "I see that you've brought a new friend here who is also new to this school. My, we do seem to be getting a lot of those nowadays, now don't we?"  
  
"Yes, it seems so," Kathryn conceded with a smile as she saw Anne out of the corner of her eye mouth 'how did her know that?'  
  
"Holmes," she continued, "please allow me to introduce you to Anne Finnegan, who is in my English literature class. Anne, this is Sherlock Holmes, who is in my chemistry class."  
  
"It's a pleasure meeting you!" said Anne cheerily, "Kathryn's told me so much about you!"  
  
"Nothing bad I hope," replied Holmes with a small smile directed towards Kathryn as he motioned the others to seats by the large, elegant fireplace. "Finnegan.I believe I've heard that name before. I believe that your father is a member of parliament."  
  
"Why yes, Mr. Holmes," said Anne, clearly astonished. "How on Earth do you find out all these things?"  
  
"I have my ways," replied Holmes enigmatically as he smiled even larger. "So how do you like Cambridge so far?"  
  
"It's very nice here," mused Anne, "The grounds are just absolutely spectacular. It's nothing like my old school. There was one small courtyard with no trees whatsoever."  
  
"That's a shame," stated Holmes. "I've spent many a day sitting under a cherry tree close to here doing my homework. Please, have a seat."  
  
The three of them took their respective chairs around a crackling fireplace, seeing that the autumn weather had already started to become quite chilly later on in the day.  
  
"So, what classes are you taking this year, Miss Finnegan?" asked Holmes politely  
  
"Oh, please call me Anne; it makes me seem old when I have peers calling me 'Miss Finnegan,'" stated Anne earnestly. "In answer to your question, I suppose that I'm taking mostly courses having to do with language and art. You must already know that I have English literature with Kathryn here. In addition to this, I also have World history, European history, French, music, and I am thinking about trying to convince Kathryn over here to take the drawing and painting class with me."  
  
"Really?" asked Kathryn in surprise. "Whatever for?"  
  
"Well, I knew that you have artistic talent as soon as I set eyes on you. I may not be psychic like you, Mr. Holmes, but I know creative talent when I see it. You've got a lot of potential, Katie."  
  
Holmes suddenly stood up from his seat, took three steps to arrive in front of Kathryn's chair, and started to peer at her with mock deliberation.  
  
"Hmm. Yes, yes I see it now. Granger, I see you becoming an artist in some very few years, become world renowned, go to America to make a fortune off your art, and leave us all behind here in dreary old England."  
  
"If you say so," replied Kathryn with an amused smile and a raised eyebrow.  
  
"But really, Holmes. How on Earth did you find out about me?" asked Anne with renewed curiosity.  
  
"Well, it's all done with a wee bit of magic, you know; it's quite simple, actually."  
  
Kathryn snorted and murmured, "A little pinch of logic, more like it."  
  
"Oh come on, Granger, I was only having a bit of fun," replied Holmes. He was just about to open his mouth to give a full, long-winded explanation of his processes when Kathryn interrupted him, saying:  
  
"The mere fact that I came here with a companion signifies the two main points. Firstly, the fact that companion is new and the fact that she a new acquaintance with whom I am on amicable terms. Secondly, the fact that she is a new student, since it is plain that I am showing her the school grounds, which is evident from the various colored mud stains on that appear on both of our shoes. This second point is further confirmed by the map in her dress pocket."  
  
Holmes smiled at Kathryn warmly, before turning to a speechless Anne, who had her jaw loosely hanging from the rest of her face. "Right on every point, Miss Granger. It seems I have some competition in the field of observational and deductive prowess."  
  
Kathryn returned his smile as Anne stood up between the two and exclaimed, "Well! I never knew that I could get friends as clever as you two. I think that you'll be at each other's throats by the end of the year with all your brains and competitiveness."  
  
"My blushes, Miss Finnegan. I am honored by your high opinion of us," returned Holmes, while Kathryn grinned sheepishly. "Have you two any classes to attend this afternoon? If you are free, then I would like to show you one of my favorite places on the grounds. It will take a while to reach the place, but the view is worth it."  
  
"Well, I'm free for the afternoon," Anne offered. "What about you, Katie?"  
  
Kathryn took out a small, elegant silver watch from the pocket of her long, dark skirt and glanced at it, before saying, "I have a theology class in two hours, so I'm afraid I won't be able to join you." "Well, perhaps we can do this another time," replied Holmes quickly, while Anne nodded fervently in agreement.  
  
"Oh no, you two should go without me. I would never want to be the reason for a wasted afternoon such as this. The sun is shining outside for the first time in weeks! It's the perfect time to explore the grounds."  
  
"Are you sure, Katie?" asked Anne meekly.  
  
"Of course! Have a nice time, both of you!"  
  
"Alright then. You too! Enjoy your theology."  
  
With that, Kathryn stood up and bade goodbye to her friends, before turning to make her way out of the room. On her way down the stairs, she met the aged, stately landlady.  
  
"How is Mr. Holmes?" the old woman asked curiously.  
  
"I do believe that Mr. Holmes is feeling much better," Kathryn replied with a smile.  
  
  
  
A/N: Ok, hope you enjoyed the chapter!  
  
Please R/R! 


	4. The Roots of Detection

Disclaimer: I don't own Holmes, Victor Trevor, Old Trevor, or Cambridge for that matter. All Sherlockian references belong to Doyle, so don't sue.  
  
A/N: Hello, everyone, I'm back!! Hopefully I'll be able to post some more chapters up in both University Life and New Ally, seeing as I am finally on winter break ::Thanks the school for three free weeks:: Anyways, hope you guys are still interested in this story, as well as New Ally, because I will be posting Chapter 14 up.  
  
About the whole romance thing, I have decided, after viewing all of your wonderful reviews, ::gives everyone a cookie for their great work:: to include some romance in this story. But, don't worry all those who don't like romance, I assure you that it won't be fluff and that I will keep Holmes as close to the canon character as possible.  
  
Anyways, enough about the plot, here's Chapter 4: ENJOY!!  
  
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Chapter 4-  
  
"So what do you think of Katie, Sherlock?" asked Anne ardently as the two strolled slowly down the path leading to Caius Hall, one of the front entrances of the school grounds.  
  
"What do you mean?" Holmes asked in return, slightly surprised. He had no idea that his thoughts about his friend were so obvious. "She's a good friend, but I'm sure that you already know that. What are you trying to ask?"  
  
"Oh, never mind," Anne sighed with a shake of her head and a knowing smile gracing her lips. Holmes was sure that he heard her mutter "Men." Under her breath as they continued in silence.  
  
Nothing more was said for several minutes as each student spent their time relishing the warmth of the warmest rays of afternoon sunshine that they were going to receive that year, and listening to the chirping chatter of songbirds as they prepared to fly south for the winter.  
  
"So, Sherlock, what classes do you take here?" Anne asked, deciding to break the utter silence that had fallen between the two.  
  
"I do a bit of everything, really: chemistry, physics, calculus, trigonometry, biology, and psychology."  
  
"Hmm, sounds a bit one-sided to me," Anne opined as she folded her arms.  
  
"Whatever do you mean?" Holmes asked in mock surprise.  
  
"You've practically taken every single math and science course available at this school!" exclaimed Anne as she threw up her arms in exasperation.  
  
"That may be true, but you have to admit that it gives me a broad foundation of experience." Holmes countered teasingly.  
  
"I suppose," Anne conceded with a sigh.  
  
"Besides, if it makes you feel any better, I've already taken any necessary art courses," continued Holmes haughtily.  
  
"Why are you telling me this? You don't have to defend your qualifications in front of me, I already know that you're a genius." Anne announced with a smirk.  
  
"If only that were really true," mused Holmes thoughtfully as he observed a single crow land on the gravel paved path before them.  
  
Silence settled over the two of them once again, as they entered a small rose garden enclosed by a beautifully ornate iron wrought fence.  
  
"So what do you do in your free time, apart from showing new students around the school grounds?" Anne asked in a second attempt to start a proper conversation.  
  
"You don't enjoy silences, do you Anne?" Holmes returned amusedly with a question of his own.  
  
"Well, no," Anne replied, slightly more subdued. "Maybe it's just because I haven't had many people to talk to in the past, but I feel that silence tends to weigh down atmosphere of a normally cheerful situation."  
  
"I see," mused Holmes thoughtfully, making a mental note of the information. "Well, in answer to your question, I don't have a lot of spare time, with all my classes and personal researches, but I believe that one of my favourite pastimes, if you can call it that, would be making observations and deductions from the people who I meet, and seeing how accurate my conjectures were, like what I did with you earlier on in my rooms."  
  
"Really?" Anne asked, slightly incredulous. "Well you've got yourself quite a hobby if I do say so myself. And you seem to be getting very good at it."  
  
Holmes shrugged nonchalantly. "Right now, I have to actively train my brain and senses to make these observations, based on trivial things, such as a person's air demeanour, or way of dress. I hope one day to have trained myself so well, that this becomes a second nature habit. The ability has come in handy for me, on more than one occasion."  
  
"So what do you plan to do with your life once you have perfected your seemingly magical ability?" Anne asked, with her interest peaked.  
  
"I'm not completely sure yet," confessed Holmes with a sheepish smile. "It is true that this is our last year at Cambridge, and so I ought to be thinking about a possible career, but to tell you the truth, I haven't given the matter a lot of thought. The only possibility that has entered my mind in all my years in university is that of becoming a detective of some sort."  
  
"Well that's not an occupation I get to hear about every day," mused Anne excitedly, and Holmes was sure that she had skipped a step as they continued their stroll. "What makes you turn to that line of work?"  
  
"My attention was directed to detection by the father of my only friend at the previous college I attended," explained Holmes casually. "About two years ago, right before I transferred to Cambridge in fact, I met a fellow called Victor Trevor. We became friends after his bull terrier froze on my ankle one morning as I was running to the chapel." At this, Anne's eyes grew wide with astonishment and a tinge of fear, but Holmes waved away the comment offhandedly and continued unperturbed as if he were talking about the weather.  
  
"After we became close friends, Trevor had invited me to his home in the country, where I had the honour of meeting his father, who was a Justice of the Peace at the time. Apparently, Victor had told his father of my talents in observation and deduction, which I was just beginning to cultivate at the time, and the old man had absolutely insisted me to give a demonstration. After making several correct deductions into his past, including one that was connected to his darkest secret, Old Trevor had announced in front of me that I should turn my attention towards detection when it came time for me to choose a profession.  
  
" 'I don't know how you manage this, Mr. Holmes, but it seems to me that all the detectives of fact and fancy would be children in your hands,' he told me. 'That's your line of life, sir, and you may take the word of a man who as seen something of the world.' "  
  
"Well, I suppose Mr. Trevor has a point, now that you mention it," Anne mused. "I mean, you could find out so much about your clients and antagonists alike with a mere glance in their direction, and if you put your skills to use in a crime scene, then who knows the possibilities!"  
  
"Dear me, you do me too much honour," Holmes stated modestly. "There is much more to detection that the simple art of observation and deduction, of that I am sure. For one, experience is needed. And that is what I have very little."  
  
"So what happened to Mr. Trevor and your friend, Victor?" Anne asked curiously as the two turned down the path towards the grand St. Mary's University Church, with it high steeples rising upwards from the horizon and its magnificent stained windows glistening in the afternoon sunlight.  
  
"Victor is doing well, as far as I can tell, and is at the Terai tea planting, the last time I heard from him. Unfortunately, his father didn't fare as well as he did. I am sorry to say that Old Trevor died soon after I made my acquaintance with him as a result of an affair which became the first case in which I was ever involved."  
  
Anne's eyes grew wide once again in disbelief and she managed to utter out, "How?"  
  
Holmes, however, remained silent as he took out an ornately engraved golden pocket watch from the depths of his waistcoat and glanced at the dial.  
  
"Is that the time already?" He exclaimed with surprise, before turning to Anne. "Please accept my apologies, Miss Finnegan, but I must leave you now; I need to prepare for my calculus class. All you have to do is take the path on the right and you'll be able to return to your lodgings." Without another word, Holmes turned on his heel and sped away in the direction from which they came, with his coat tails flapping in the air as though desperate to keep up with his swift gait.  
  
Sighing deeply, Anne continued on the path towards the grand chapel in front of her, shaking her head the entire time. "Seems like all men will still be boys in their minds," she mused under her breath amusedly. "Wait till Katie hears of this."  
  
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A/N: Not much happens in this chapter, but it's foundation for what's about to happen. Stay tuned, you guys! 


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